DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Frio County. Now settle in, because this piece of South Texas ground has been collecting history a lot longer than most folks realize. Long before there was a county, long before there was even a name for the place, the Pachal Indians called this land home.
Then came the Spaniards, arriving in Mexico in 1519, and the whole region started drawing the attention of the outside world. The first explorer to push through this particular area was Alonso de Leon, in 1690, and he wasn't sightseeing — he was out searching for Fort St. Louis, the post founded by La Salle.
That's the kind of errand that takes a man into wild country with no guarantee of coming back the same way he left. Then, in 1720, the Upper Presidio Road came through — a proper artery of travel running all the way from Saltillo, Mexico, to East Texas — and it crossed the Frio River right here and became a King's Highway. A King's Highway.
That's not a name you give to a cow path. A settlement called Frio Town planted itself right along that road and became the county's first seat of government. And here's where the story gets heavy.
That same road, the one traders and missionaries had worn down over generations, is the road over which Santa Anna marched in 1836 to destroy the defenders of the Alamo. History doesn't always announce itself before it rolls through your town. As for the county's name — the marker tells us plain: Frio is a Spanish word meaning cold, taken from the Frio River running through it.
The county itself was created in 1858 and organized in 1871. Then in 1883, the county seat pulled up stakes and moved to Pearsall. And Pearsall being a young town, the oldest building standing in it is the jail, built in 1884.
Which, when you think about it, says something about the priorities of a frontier settlement — get the county seat, then make sure you've got somewhere to put the trouble. That's Frio County.
What the marker says
(Created 1858, Organized 1871) Home of Pachal Indians before Spaniards arrived in Mexico (1519). First area explorer was Alonso de Leon, 1690, searching for Fort St. Louis founded by La Salle. Upper Presidio Road--artery of travel from Saltillo, Mexico, to East Texas--crossed Frio River and became a King's Highway , 1720. Frio Town, first county seat, was located on the road, over which Santa Anna marched to destroy defenders of the Alamo in 1836. County took name from Frio (a Spanish word which means "cold") River. The county seat moved to Pearsall, 1883. Jail, built 1884, is the oldest building in town. (1968)